Allergies – get Tested and Treatment at Digital Clinic
Allergy testing – see list for environmental and food allergies tested (100 total, 10 panels)
It takes about 30 minutes to get each antigen applied to your back/ arms.
There is no pain involved, Digital Clinic uses a plastic device that makes a small scratch on the surface of your skin with the antigen.
After 15 minutes we can “read” the results. A positive allergy to that substance will have a reaction of a red, swollen wheel to the skin >3mm then control.
Allergy Treatment:
Allergy shots - injected into the upper arm, on a schedule provided by pharmacy and provider.
Sublingual Drops – drops under your tongue on a schedule provided by pharmacy.
Each treatment (shot or drops) will have a gradual increase in the allergen dose so overtime your immune system will build up a tolerance to the antigen causing your allergy symptoms to diminish overtime. Meaning less steroids and drugs over the course of your life to treat the symptom of allergy.
Allergy Sublingual drops:
You give yourself drops under your tongue on a schedule for added convenience and safety, however, most insurance will not pay for sublingual drops, but will for shots.
Sublingual immunotherapy has been prescribed since the 1980s in most of Europe, currently it is being used at least as often as allergy shots in the USA. Sublingual immunotherapy is popular as patients do not need to go to the providers office and can self - administer the drops at home. The drops have a higher safety profile as they enter under the tongue and gets absorbed into the bloodstream vs shots go directly into the blood stream make the drops safer, so kids under 5y can use drops vs shots kids must be at least 7yr old.
Allergy Shots:
Allergy injections are a series of shots including a buildup and maintenance phase. The initial buildup phase takes 3-6 months of injections twice a week. The maintenance phase continues for 3-5 years, with an allergy shot every month. Digital clinic will order specific treatment for you based on your specific testing results, this mean it will come from a specialty pharmacy and be a dose step specific for you.
As an extreme precaution – Digital clinic will give you a prescription for an epipen which you are to bring to your appointment every time you receive a shot, in case there is a reaction.
Risks of allergy shots.
1. Local reactions which involve redness, swelling, and irritation. You can calm these down with Benadryl, antihistamine cream, or hydrocortisone cream.
2. Systemic reactions. Unlikely but could be serious. Symptoms include sneezing, nasal congestion, or hives. You could take (2) Benadryl and famotidine (Pepcid) and if it gets serious an EpiPen.
3. Anaphylaxis. This is extremely rare with allergy shots as they are very controlled and mixed specifically for you. Symptoms could include low blood pressure and trouble breathing, typically 30 minutes after the injection. Treatment would include an EpiPen and hospital visit.
Cost:
Please make sure your insurance will cover allergy testing and if there is a maximum number of antigens allowed to test. The CPT code is 95004.
If you plan to pay without insurance, it is $350 for testing.
Self schedule an appointment: https://www.digitalclinicians.com/get-started
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